I have almost lost hope with my skin.I have tried everything over the last few years and nothing seems to be helping the matter.I had been using only water for the last to months and my skin got no worse so that proved to me that i did not need a cleanser to keep my skin relatively clear, however my skin never really felt clean and due to my line of work (landscaping) i felt like dirt was probly just sitting on my face for weeks and weeks.

I decided to go back to using cetaphil because it is the most gentle cleanser so they say but it left my skin dry and tight and my whole forehead was was flaking.Why dont i ise a moisturiser i hear you ask?Because i have yet to find a moisturiser that doesnt make my face look oily and sweaty an hour after i apply it.I have literally tried everything and i dont know what to do anymore.

I start my new job tomorrow and i cant sleep at night because im thinking about tommorrow morning-waking up and looking in the mirror only to see my red blotchy itchy fllaky oily dry face and not being able to do a damn thing about it.

i find myself thinking about my face allday trying to think of new ways that i can cleanse it without drying it out, maybe i should wash once a day, or twice a day, or only at night, or in the morning, with water, withoutr water, in the shower, at the sink,little bit of water, lots of water, hot water,cold water,luke warm eater.

If everything dries out my skin including just water, what can i do?i feel sick to my stomach when i think about being almost 23years of age and still this thing is controlling my life.

eucerin pore purifying foaming wash is very non-drying and is supposed to be without any harsh ingredients. i found that the cetaphil always left a nasty film on my face so i stopped using it ages ago.

in case you dont already know this... hot water is the most drying to your skin, and cold water is the least drying. ive tried every temperature... right now im on slightly-cool water and it seems to be working well. another thing is that prolonged exposure to water (like drenching your face for 10 minutes under the shower head) will dry out your skin really bad. so quick and cool can help prevent dry skin.

i recently began using manuka honey under a dressing every night, and it's made my face much smoother and there aren't any flakes at all. its also supposed to kill p. acnes and other bacteria so maybe after another week or two i'll have flawless skin (hey, it cant hurt to dream).

craig, maybe its time you throw your hands up in the air and talk to a derm about accutane... or else just keep trying new things untill something works. and always remember that persistence pays off!!!

Thanks for the replies guys, Yeah i have been to a derm before and i went on accutane about three years ago.The Main problem for me isnt actual pimples(although i still get them), its the texture and appearance of my skin that i have been left with after using shit on my face for the past 8 years.Even when i wake up and my face feels really good, i look in the mirror and it literally takes me a few seconds to realise that i am looking at my face and not another person.My skin is constantly blushed and tight and even when i give it some relief and apply moisturiser it still remains red only now it appears greasy?

I probly should have told you guys this before about the constant redness, i went to a derm and he said that maybe i have a very mild case of rosacea so i went and had 8 photo facial treatments(they said 5 is would do the job) each ant 300 australian dollars a pop and it did precious little. i think that i am going to have to go back to the derm and ask to go on some medication for the redness.

I read that some of the symptoms are that anything applyed to the face stings or causes irritation, that sounds like me to a tea.The one thing that is most annoying is that very thing- that i cant put anything on my face(not even water) without it making my face red and dry.

What am i supposed to do? Not wash my face at all.Thats crazy

I thought that when i switched to the water method that this was it, i had found a way of being able to live my life to the fullest without having to worry about my face feeling tight or looking oily or dry or what the lighting is going to be like at a party im going to, or having to wear a hat everywhere i go even if i dont want to .

I thought that with my life style being the way it is in that i dont smoke,very rarely drink, i dont do drugs, i eat healthy , i dring 3 litres of fresh water a day and i exercise 4 times a week that it had to be that i was over doing it with my face with all the products and shit.You can understand then, how sad i feel now to realise that i still havent beaten this thing.When you have done everything what else is there to do?

Hmm, well in terms of skin care there is rosacea specfic brands. There are also rosacea diets, if you are interested. For topicals, azeliac acid (azelex, skinoren, finacea) is also marketed for rosacea.

Now the only moisturizer I let touch my face is made by a woman named Denise. I have been using this custom moisturizer for over 4 years now. She will customize all of her products by scent, texture, as well as ingredients. So if you email her at [email protected] she will send you an ingredients list, price list, and of course you can describe your skin and she can help you decide on a few versions to try. I know that she has a Normal, Sensitive, and Night, skin forumula, all with 3 levels of moisturization (I use Normal/Light and Night/Light - that is a bit more less moisturizing as it has more active ingredients).

Also, the other things I use mainly are Chirally formulated (natural) products. That means that they use ingredients that are more effective, but less irritating. such as L-ascorbic acid over DL-ascorbic acid. My Skin Control cleanser and Skin Control Gel (don't use it much any more but was a wonderful & healing light moisturizer at night) came from http://www.isocare.net. While this seems pricy, it doesn't cost more than other acne lines such as DDF or Peter Thomas Roth. The cleanser cleans, leaves my face soft, never feeling oily or dry & tight, plus it lasts me 3 - 4 months. Also, before I tried this line, I was a fan of Sage Skin Care at http://www.zerozits.com While it is not chirally formulated, her cleanser was also very good, and you can customize it to be as gentle as you like.

If the proper & more gentle skin care doesn't cut it, there are other ways to deal with the dryness. However, is this dryness, is this due to the fact that you used accutane? Yet at the same time your face appears oily several hours later??? More oil than before you used accutane? Is this due to you using moisturizers or this happens wether you just wash your face (warm, cool water) and use nothing at all?

To my knowledge the best healers are Aloe Vera Gel and someone already mentioned Manuka Honey. There's also Jojoba Oil and Emu (if you don't mind), some acne sufferers tolerate these oils well. However, for the dryness, have you tried taking Omega 3s? The best sources are from Neptune Krill Oil and Fish Oil. I have dry skin to some extent too and so Omega 3s and a more vegetables are pretty much my best hope.

If you have to take a break for a week or two, it's understandble, but there are other options around for when you get ready.

These are not steps, but stages some people progress through when going from conventional to holistic medicine. Stage 2 is how I became 99%+ Clear, eliminated my dysmennorhea, significantly reduced my sebum & pore size, etc & is my predominant method.

Research: * Developing functional foods for those with acne & other special needs (assuming there's a defficiency).* Developing good & "safe" formulas for various hormonal issues for women. Correction stage may resolve this for some.

don't give up hope! remember we started the water method around the same time? well, it dried up my skin just like yours...flaky, tight, red, and even more whiteheads. then i switched back to cetaphil...and after a while the tightness, dryness, and flaking came back.

don't worry so much about your skin. people who don't have skin problems don't really notice other peoples problems. and if you smile through it, people will still respect and love you. and always, avoid mirrors except the one you look the best in. dim the lights in your bathroom if you have to. it helps with your confidence. and less stress also equals less pimples.

have you tried Aquanil? your skin sounds very sensitive and right now, Aquanil is the best that has worked so far. splash your face with cool water, use a washcloth if you like to wipe your face before Aquanil.

or if you want to deep clean it a bit, quickly let the water wet your face in the shower and then let it sit on your face while you shampoo your hair or soap your body. then use a washcloth to gently wipe your face. after that, rub a generous amount of Aquanil all over your face and wipe off with a dry or damp towel.

its working wonders for me but it is taking a loooong time to slowly heal because i just can't stop picking. your face might get a tiny bit worse for a few days but stick with it. the redness should go away and the red marks won't appear for so long. especially if you have roseacea, you need the most gentle cleanser.

right now i am experimenting with chlorine free washing. i spritz the Evian pure water facial spray all over. then wipe it off witha dry cloth. then i use the Aquanil. less irritation all around.

there are so many new solutions to try that the possibilities are endless. but the one thing you have to remember is to let your body heal itself naturally.

The only time i get oil on my skin is when i use a moisturiser, no matter how little i put on it seems to just sit on the surface. Granted it does make my skin feel less tight however it makes my face appear redder for some reason even a few hours later.

I went for about a week without using any moisturiser and my skin produced hardly any oil what-so-ever and it was at this stage that i thought i had cracked it, however my skin got so tight that it went shiny almost even thought there would be no oil on the back of my hand if i placed against my forehead and then removed it.If i could just find a cleanser that i could use which wouldnt dry me out i would crack this thing, water is the least drying but i feel it doesnt cleanse aswell-catch 22.Also i must add that it is near impossible to cleans only once a day as i live in a very hot climate and tend to sweat alot, also as i work in the landscaping trade i couldnt stand to not wash after a hard days work. The only real way that i can cut down on the amount i wash my face is the amount of water i use eg. instead of 10 spashes morning and night i will use 5 morning and night.

I went on accutane 3 years ago and my oil levels have dropped massively since then but as i said earlier i have been left with horrible skin due to all the shit i used when i was younger.

Malia,Where can i find this aquanil?Can you get it in Australia?DId you find it less drying than cetaphil?(i think i remembered reading that after you used cetaphil your forehead would be flaky-same as me)

Thanks heaps guys, it so nice to actually get infomation from ppl rather that someone saying "hey why dont you try using strawberry jam as a cleanser, my sister eats it every morning and she has clear skin!"

To promote healing, I recommend you take vitamin C and zinc supplements. A while ago, I had a red patch of skin from using hydrogen peroxide, which I have stopped using. It wasn't healing properly. I took a vitamin E capsule, punctured it with a toothpick, and squirted the stuff onto the palm of my hand. Then I added hand lotion to the vitamin E and using the index finger of my other hand, blended the two together. I applied the mixture to the red patch, and after 12 hours, washed gently with a mild soap. In a few days, the red patch was gone; the skin healed completely. I got that result with only one application of the vitamin E / lotion mixture.

The reason vitamin E promotes rapid healing is that it is a powerful anti-oxidant. The dead epidermis normally protects the underlying live skin from oxygen, but if harsh chemicals have stripped away the top layers of epidermis, the continuous oxidation of the live skin impedes the formation of protective epidermis. Vitamin E should allow your skin to heal. It may also help to take Vitamin E supplements, in addition to C and zinc. All three are systemic anti-oxidants.

Also, I highly recommend you follow the dietary approach advocated by many on this message board. It is also effective against rosacea, which is a low-grade form of acne. I've had excellent results adhering to a diet that avoids any food that has added sugar or other sweeteners. I've also cut down on milk, which contains lactose, a sugar. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, and nuts are all good. Avoid soda pop, cake, candy, etc.

I think you should wash with mild soap at least once a day, such as in the shower. I suspect that your skin has been damaged by oxidizing chemicals, such as benzoyl peroxide, and it just needs a chance to heal.

Dude, if you really went through all that shit and nothing worked, I have one more thing you could try.

Why not take some time off, or save up some money, and go down to the ocean for a couple weeks. I know I know your gonna say I'm being unrealistic, but seriously, I've heard a hell of a lot of stories of people doing that, going on vacation or whatever, and coming back with a HUGE improvement. And since you said when you were using just water, there was no change, how about doing this, getting clear, and maybe you will stay that way?

Just trying to help, but if you've had it that long, nothing else has worked, don't think about any more of those shit products. Try something else natural, you don't wanna suffer forever. If I was in the same boat as you, or even if I didn't have school, I'd take off to the ocean for a while.

Thats good advice guys, i think i am going to go to the beach for a holiday or just simply start going to the beach more regularly(its only about an hour away) it just that the water is still pretty cold and i dont think that the beaches start getting patrolled for a while.

I was also thinking about getting this bloody expensive specialty rosacea face wash off this site for about 60 dollars american for 200mls.What you think, it does sound amazing i must say.

Either that or i will start washing my face with bottled water, should only cost be bout 8 bucks a week.I know now that i am sensitive to the tap water. lucky me.

i get Aquanil from online. try www.drugstore.com and do a search for it. it is much less drying than Cetaphil but i hate the way it smells. it is fragrance free but there's an undeniable smell. i'm sure they'd ship to Australia. it is supposed to be better than Cetaphil because it does not contain sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate...can never remember which one is bad.

i would give this a shot before the $60 wash! and don't use anything else with it. no moisturizer. and if you feel like you need more moisture you can also use it without splashing your face with water first.

What kind of skin do you have. (dry, oily, combo) Try finding a cleaser that fits your skin type. The just water method only works for those who all the product and things they were using on there skin is what caused there acne and/or agrivating it. A moistrizer that I have used that is not oily in Olay. Deit wise simply drink more water 6-8 cups a day and try to eliminate food from your deit contianing White sugar and Flour/Rice.(Try natrual brown sugar, Wheat Flour, and Brown Wheat rice) and eat more friuts.

John 15:7 "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
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Dices,This is why it is so demoralising for me,I eat well, i drink 3 litres of water a day, i exercise heaps, i dont use harsh products on my face, i dont smoke and rarely drink...?And ppl wonder why i am pissed off all the time.I eat heaps of fruit and have used countless cleansers that are suited for my skin type but they all irritate me.I cant even use products that are suited for babys without becoming dry and irritated.I am truly lost.

Im going to a doctor next monday and im not leaving without some sort of specific rosacea product eg.face wash ,cream etc.When i went to the docs about a year ago he gave me a hydrocortisone cream and then he said"Oh by the way, you cant use it for more than two weeks in a row because it stimulaes hair growth".

?

What the fuck!Ive had this problem for 6 years and he is giving me a cream that i can only use for two weeks.dickhead.

Im going to my mums doctor and she says she is very caring and sympatetic so im pretty excited.